NHWOA Michael Peruccio Scholarship Fund

We are back at it this year striving to create opportunities for our senior wrestlers who are moving on to higher education (full/part time university, certifications, trade schools, etc...). You'll notice a new title to our scholarship fund to include Michael Peruccio.

Michael Perruccio, 30, passed away on March 5, 2023, after a motorcycle accident in Phuket, Thailand. Growing up in Pelham, NH, he started wrestling at a young age and attended Pelham High School where he was a captain of the wrestling team, becoming a three-time state champion and three-time New England qualifier. Following high school, Michael attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) where he continued his wrestling career as a three-year captain and three-time all-regional placer. Upon graduation, Michael continued his involvement with the WPI wrestling program as a regular-season assistant coach followed by the head coach of the WPI wrestling club team.

I never had the pleasure of meeting this young man though all the feedback I heard was how Michael served as a true inspiration and mentor to those around him. Throughout his life, he motivated countless people, both on and off the mats, by modeling discipline, hard work, integrity, and dedication.

It doesn't stop posthumously as upon his untimely death, his parents Glynnis & Sal Peruccio were put in contact with me. Due to YOUR tremendous generosity in last year's scholarship campaign, someone's eye was caught and the connection with the Peruccio family was born. Mr. & Mrs. Peruccio's sole focus was to use Michael's accident as a springboard for him to continue to be in service to his community. With a little guidance on how to raise funds, the NHWOA was gifted funds in Michael's name to be used for a variety of efforts including our scholarship fund. The funds received have been put in a fund to eventually become a self sufficient, self-funding account. The vision is to not only have this scholarship fund but also have a development fund used to support start-up teams, replenish existing teams with equipment & opportunities. We are embracing the fund-raising grind as this will take some time.

Until then, we remain in need of your support to get this year's scholarship funds up to match what we did last year which was $2500 for 3 wrestlers (1 per division). If we can raise more, we will give more. Ideally, we'd love to have 6 wrestlers (1 male / 1 female per division) and 1 manager of the year. That's a lot of do-re-mi, so any and all community support is GREATLY APPRECIATED. Step 1 is to match last year's efforts and hopefully exceed.

Everyone is feeling the impact of inflation and wrestling is no different. Please find your way to donate anything. $5 X 100 people or $100 x 1 person is the same amount of money. We are not attached to how we get there, as long as we get there.

If you know of businesses looking to donate to an extremely worthy cause and prefer not to use GoFundMe, please contact Ben Tessier. Find someone that knows him and get his contact info so we don't have to post for the world to see :)

Thank you in advance for any support you are able to provide.

P.S. We are a 501c organization and receipts can be issued upon request.